Korea to participate in Pacific naval exercise

The South Korean Navy said Thursday it will take part in the U.S.-led multinational Rim of the Pacific Exercise from late June, during which Seoul, Washington and Japan are slated to hold joint missile warning drills.

This year’s biennial drill, held in waters off Hawaii, will host 27 countries, also including China and first-time participants Brazil, Denmark, Germany and Italy. Military officials said this year’s RIMPAC will be the largest to date.

A group of some 700 Navy and Marine Corps servicemen, three ships, a P-3 patrol aircraft and Lynx helicopter departed from the southern port city of Busan on Thursday to take part in the drill slated to be held from June 30 to Aug. 4.

Playing a crucial part is the Aegis-equipped DDG-991 Sejong the Great destroyer, which in joint efforts with its U.S. and Japanese counterparts will partake in Pacific Dragon ballistic missile defense exercise prior to joining RIMPAC.

The missile warning drill, marking the first of its kind, is designed to boost the allies’ capacity to track down North Korea’s ballistic missiles and share related information.

North Korea recently upped its ballistic missile threats by conducting multiple intermediate-range ballistic missile launches and revealing video Wednesday of its April firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile, coinciding with its top diplomat Ri Su-yong’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

RIMPAC will encompass various tactical maneuvers, such as test-firing Harpoon antiship cruise missiles, multinational amphibious drills, explosive disposal exercises and drills on procuring enemy vessels.

Naval forces of South Korea, the U.S., Japan and Australia will follow up on RIMPAC by holding additional joint naval drills such as a search and rescue exercise.

China’s inclusion in RIMPAC has been a source of controversy in the U.S. Some lawmakers like Rep. Mark Takai of Hawaii have raised questions as to whether China should be invited, referring to what has been suspected as Beijing’s expansionist move in the maritime territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

By Yoon Min-sik(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)